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. (No Model.)

S. WALES.

GARMENT SUPPORTER CLASP.

No. 287,349 Patented Oct. 23, 188.3.

Witnesses: I fwvenior;

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Unitas STATES sieounnnr WALES, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM c. HOWARD, on NEW YORK, N. Y.-

GARMENT-SUPPQRTER CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,349, dated October 23, 1883.

Application filed March 19, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIGQURNEY WALEs, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Sleeve and Stocking Supporters, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a clasp for sleeve and stocking supporters, and as for its object to simplifythe construction by reducing the number of parts, and at the same time'reducing the thickness of the clasp, and thereby producing a more desirable article and it consists of a clasp made up from two pieces of sheet metal, and pivoted together in the form of a cross or letter X, and adapted'to seize and hold the garment at one side of their pivotal connection, and to be locked or latched together at the other side, as will be described.

It further consists in certain novel features of construction, which will be best understood by reference to'the description of the drawings and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of the two blanks as cut from thin sheet metal, and from which the two jaws of my improved clasp are to be formed by the aid of suitable 'swaging dies. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively airinside elevation and a central vertical section of the main or suspension jaw after being swaged. Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views of the pivoted or movable jaw after being swaged to the desired shape. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are respectively a front elevation, a rear elevation, and a central vertical section of the completed clasp; and Fig; 10 represents an elevation of a pair of my improved clasps attached to an elastic strap for the purposes .of a sleeveholder.

In the manufacture of my improved clasp I first cut from thin sheet metal two blanks, A and B, of the outline shown in Figs. land 2, respectively. The blank A has formed therein the opening a, as a means of attaching thereto the band or strap 0, and also near the middle of its length. with the opening I), for the passage of the tongue 0 of the blank or movable jaw B, and also has formed in the 5o narrow strips of metal, 01 (2, upon opposite (No model.)

sides of the opening 1), two small round holes, which serve as bearings for the trunnions e e of the movable jaw B when the jaw A has been swaged into the form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The lower end of the blank A has formed thereon a series of sharp-pointed teeth, f f, and may or may not, have formed therein the opening 9 and a second series of teeth, h. The blank A is bent or swaged by means of suitable dies into the shape illus- 6 trated in Figs. 3 and 4 by simply bending the ears d d and the teeth f and h at right angles to the main body of the jaw, which remains fiat. The blank B is also bent or swaged to the shape shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lower 6 or broader portion,i, of the blank being formed into a sort of shallow cup by bending itsedge around three sides and curving the tongue 0,

as shown. The end of the tonguec is rolled backward upon itself to form the bead-like 7O projection j, as shown in Fig. 6. This bead j and the curvature of the tongue 0 are so proportioned to the distance from the centers of A the bearings in the ears (1 d to the lower edge, a, of the opening a that in order for the 7 5 bead j to pass over the edge a of the jaw A the curved portion of the tongue 0 has to be partiallystraightened in order to lengthen it, and when the bead has passed said edge and the' pressure upon the tongue 0 is removed the spring of the tongue, consequent upon its tendency to assume its former curvature, causes the bead j to engage with the edge a in such a manneras to resist any ordinary strain upon the jaws tending to open them, to which they '8 5 are liable to be subjected'with fair usage.

These jaws are made preferably of springbrass, only two pieces of which are required to each clasp, no spiral or other spring, except what is contained in the two jaws, and no 0 rivet or separate journal, being used in the construction of my improved clasp. Another advantage of my improved clasp is that it is much thinner than those in general use and much less liable to be accidentally unclasped. 9 5 Another advantage is that it can be more easily applied, on account of the wider opening of its jaws, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 9.

It is obvious that the teeth represented in the drawings as being on the jaw A may be I00 formed upon the jaw B, and the jaw A have its edges curved, instead of the jaw B; or both jaws may be provided with teeth, if desired, without affecting the principles of my invention. The jaw B is made of somewhat greater area than the jaw A, so that the teeth on the jaw A may strike with the turned-up or curved edge of B; but if the teeth are formed upon B instead of A, then A would be made of the largest area.

In another application of even date herewith I have shown a'portion of this invention applied to a pencil-holder, but do not claim here anything claimed in said other application.

\Vhat I clailn as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-' 1. A sleeve or stocking supporter clasp consisting of two thin metal plates, one of which is slotted at or near the middle of its length to receive the other, and forming 'a the opening I), and with the trunnions e e and the bead j, all arranged andadapted to operate substantially as described.

In testimonywh ereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two 5 subscribing witnesses, on this 17th day of March, A. D. 1883.

' SIGOURNEY ALES.

\Vitnesses:

E. A. HEMMENWAY, WALTER E. LOMBARD. 

